WRECKER: A Bad Boy Cowboy Romance (A steamy billionaire romance story) Read Free Page B

a giant animal like that if you didn’t love it?”
    “Well, you make a good point,” he admits. I know I do. “I guess you could do it for money.”
    “I have no need for money.” It’s something I don’t talk about, but I’ve been set for money for quite some time now. I had an windfall that I don’t often tell people about. I’m a simple man with simple pleasures, so I give the profits to a financial planner, and he sends me reports every now and then. Mostly I throw them in the trash, open maybe one a year. And that’s enough for me. I know a lot of people have gotten rich offa me, in backdoor bets, betting for me or against, don’t mind me none. I reckon that’s where most of the excitement in the stands came from today.
    But not for my little Canada. No, she was there for me, just me, I’m sure of it. She wanted to see me tonight and when I fell, she saw my body, not my effect on her bank account, unlike most of the stands. The way her hands flew up to her pretty face, in happy shock as I jumped up and shook myself off. The relief in her eyes as I threw her a little wink. She’s something, that little Canada.
    I think I’d like to take her home.

Five
    Chastity
    I never expected the moments watching Kanen would be so grueling. My stomach was in knots as he rode that giant animal. But there was something else too. He seemed in control, unlike the other riders, who were hanging on for dear life, flying around desperately clinging to the animal, every second filled with fear. Kanen was almost majestic, like he was meant to be on that bull.
    As the seconds counted down he was low on the bull, his strong arms and shoulders cut in the bright lights of the arena, his tattoos black against his tan skin. His dark hair was flying around in the wind. I’ve never seen someone look so handsome. And when the bull threw him, finally, the crowd erupted in a singular roar, some screaming his name, others with wordless cries of excitement. He lay there for just a little too long, and I was afraid that he was paralyzed, and would be trampled by the bull. But then he turned his head a little, and before long he was up and swaggering over to the side of the stands before jumping to safety.
    Did he smile at me, wink at me? I couldn’t tell, but he seemed to, and the tension in my heart melted with the warmth and heat that he somehow brought up in me. There was something inside me that wanted to rush down and go hug him, and tell him that I was glad that he was all right, but I didn’t. It would be absurd, wouldn’t it? I mean I’ve met him once, and we barely know each other, so to do so would be crazy. But still, my heart was telling me to go.
    “Hey,” Lacey says. “You okay over there? You haven’t taken your eyes off of Kanen this whole time. He’s all right you know.”
    “Yeah, I know,” I say quickly, tearing my eyes from his lithe frame to look at her. “This is all new to me, Lacey, you know that,” I say. “How do these guys do it without killing themselves?”
    “Some people do, I guess,” she smiles. “You want a beer?”
    “Sure.”
    “Okay, you stay here, I’ll go get us some drinks.”
    “Sounds good,” I say. I try not to look back immediately at Kanen, but when I can’t resist anymore, I look up and our eyes meet. He’s wearing a black cowboy hat now, and he tips it at me. My heart flutters. Then he jumps over the railing and gracefully takes the stairs two at a time and slips into the seat next to me, the one that was occupied by Lacey, and says, “Howdy, there, Canada, and how are you this fine evening?”
    “I’m okay, but the question is, how are you?”
    He laughs and says, “Mighty fine, thank you. What brings you to the rodeo this evening? I hadn’t pegged you for an animal lover.” He looks around. “Or whatever you’d call the people here.”
    “It’s my first time, actually,” I admit.
    It’s a bit hard to get the words out, and I look down at my hands. He knows